The Beatles’ ‘Abbey Road’ Album Cover: A Breakdown of All the ‘Paul Is Dead’ Conspiracy Theory Clues
While Paul McCartney continues to make music, there is a popular conspiracy theory that he died long ago. Beatles fans have analyzed every lyric and album cover to find hidden clues suggesting the British singer is dead. One piece of music history that fans of The Beatles use to justify this theory is the cover of Abbey Road, which contains plenty of supposed clues.
‘Paul is Dead’ is a popular conspiracy theory among The Beatles fans
The conspiracy theory that Paul McCartney is dead sparked in 1967 but gained popularity in 1969. Many believed that Paul McCartney had died in 1966 in a car accident and had been replaced by a lookalike. According to Biography.com, the speculators based their claim on a car accident report involving one of McCartney’s many cars.
The theory died down after multiple interviews and videos were taken of McCartney, proving his living status, but many still believed it was the lookalike. Fans scoured through song lyrics, music videos, and album covers to find evidence that he was dead. The cover of Abbey Road became a popular source among conspirators as it contained hints that The Beatles could be covering up his death.
The Beatles ‘Abbey Road’ album cover contains many hints that Paul McCartney could be dead
Over the years, conspiracy theorists have pointed out several possible clues teasing McCartney’s death on the cover of Abbey Road by The Beatles. According to Radio.com, one significant clue is the white Volkswagen Beetle with a plate number of “28IF.” If McCartney hadn’t supposedly died in the car accident in 1966, he would have turned 28 (even though he had turned 27 in 1969).
Another symbol is The Beatles themselves. In the image, The Beatles are walking on a crosswalk outside of Abbey Road Studios. The theory is that they represent a funeral procession: Ringo Starr is the congregation, George Harrison is the gravedigger, Paul is the corpse, and John Lennon is the priest.
Fans also point to McCartney being barefoot, as people in some cultures are buried without their shoes. The police van is also meant to symbolize the officers who kept quiet after McCartney’s car accident. Also, McCartney is holding his cigarette in his right hand, which some find suspicious as he was a lefty.
McCartney made light of this theory with the ‘Paul is Live’ album
McCartney is alive and well and is a good sport about this theory. In 1993, the “Live and Let Die” singer released the album Paul is Live, a live album recorded during his New World tour. The album cover parodies Abbey Road, with McCartney walking his English sheepdog named Arrow.
McCartney even made some notable differences to the cover. The Volkswagen Beetle’s license plate number now reads “51IS,” indicating he is alive and the age of 51. He is also wearing shoes to prove he has not been buried and holding a cigarette in his dominant left hand. Fortunately, McCartney is still here, but the “Paul is Dead” theory continues to be entertaining.
